Practice These Top 8 Healthy Habits

Eating healthy doesn't need to be hard, it about changing your habits. Yes the transition might be difficult at first, but here's a piece of advice that has changed my perspective to adapting. Pick one habit a day, and stick to it for the whole day. If you keep doing that over and over again, over a period of time, these are practices that will become embedded to your daily life without giving it a second thought. Here are 8 tips to change your lifestyle NOW.

1) Surround yourself with healthy and whole foods

We tend to eat what we have laying around the house. If the only thing we have are healthy options like apples, pears, berries, baby carrots, celery, or baby tomatoes...those are the food we will be munching on instead of processed junk. When we are viciously hungry, and we see an open bag of chips, we will probably reach for those first because they are just a pluck away! So prep your veggies and fruits so it's as easy as possible to make the healthy decision.

2) Eat sitting down

It's incredible how much we think food doesn’t count when we are standing up and eating out of our pantries (I must admit, I am a victim of this). So take you time, enjoy your meal times. Put your food on your favorite dish, sit down, chew, and take it one bite at a time.

3) Drink water, not the sugary liquid stuff

Our bodies are made from 50-70% of water. So when we are thirsty, you might think you want that Gatorade or coke sitting in your fridge, but what your body really wants is H20. Resorting to sugary drinks not only add on unnecessary calories, but wreak havoc on your health. To spice things up, try putting freshly cut lemon or fruit in a nice looking glass jar!

4) Snack on fruit

We can either grab the pre-packaged stuff or a piece of fruit on our way out the door. It's just as easy to throw an apple in your bag for a mid-morning snack instead of the processed pretzels. It's all about the way you prep!

5) Eat your greens and veggies

Guess what? Your mother was right this whole time. You must eat your veggies every day in order to aid your digestion and get your nutrients in the most natural way possible! The best ways to get your greens on? Thrown them in a smoothie, steam, bake, or sauté!

6) Chew your food

Most of the time, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. It takes 15 minutes for our bodies to register that we are full, so the more we chew the slower we eat which means our digestive system will like you more.

7) Put those leftovers away

When you have left overs sitting on your countertop, it's easy to take 1..2...or 3 spoonful after you are done with your meal. Out of sight, out of mind and put them back in the fridge.

8) Listen to your Body

Everyone has a different body which means people thrive off different types of lifestyles. What might work for one person, might be horrible for someone else. Be aware of the way you feel after you eat something. Do you have more energy or feel light after eating brown rice? Then eat more of it. If you feel weighted down, then try out quinoa. Keep in mind, It's about the journey, not the destination.

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